Get Inspired, Be Empowered Forums Employment Opportunities Occupational problems of women bus conductors

8 replies, 9 voices Last updated by Shumaila Siddiqui 2 years, 9 months ago
  • Woospire
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    @admin
    #31287

    “It’s a bumpy ride for women bus conductors, who complain of unruly passengers and dicey working conditions.” – The New India Express

    Manpreet Singh
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    @manpreet
    #31345
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    Although it is a very welcome and plause worthy step, we must ask this question to ourselves first, has our society and our mindset truly evolved? Will we let the brave women work in peace and not question their choices on a daily basis? The answer would a reassuring and a big no! There are many powerful women who have taken up unconventional(by gender roles standard) jobs like bus conductor/driver, locomotive driver, auto-rickshaw driver, etc, and are proud of their choices. But they have to bear those condescending and patronizing looks and comments from the opposite gender on a daily basis, the looks which are scared of their privilege being taken away, the privilege which should not have been given to any gender from the beginning.
    Society is constantly evolving towards modernization and gender roles and gender stereotypes are dissolving very quickly. But there is still a part of the society which is resisting the change. We must look to the fact that these changes are very healthy for society. They are making our women more independent and productive members of society. They are not only looking at themselves but bringing prosperity to the home. It’s a true win-win situation for everyone, then why do we question their choices by stating the logic that they don’t fit the job just because they are women? More and more parents should encourage their daughters to take up these vocational roles as employment is anyway low. These extra options can make society better.
    To all the men who are not comfortable with this, they must be made realized that this kind of mentality has no place in present times. Also, the government should make the working places safer for women because in such an unconventional job, they are an easy target for the criminal element.

    simran arora
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    @simran
    #31355
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    In the race of equality, we have forgotten its meaning regarding ‘equal respect.’ Treating women bus conductors in the same way as male conductors is not a solution to occurring problems. There weren’t any women bus conductors until 1980.

    The problem is the line of comparison between men and women. When they say we treat women like men, it does not mean that you forget the duties a woman carries to her work. In late February 2021, BMTC women conductors requested reduced work hours. Earlier as well, women bus conductors have complained that their assistance in improving infrastructure and other facilities is not regarded. The supervisor took most decisions, and the promotion scenario is likable for male conductors. On the other hand, the complaint continued for denying women to leave for home during the rest hours. When a woman takes responsibility on her shoulders, the work does not matter only for payment, but the household duties suffer an increase.

    The pandemic has made everything difficult altogether. However, earlier than the pandemic, women bus conductors did not have the privilege to take a break during their menstrual cycle or reach their children on time. In the revolution of equality, we forgot the treatment was not to be alike, but understanding considering the requirements of the individual. The gender pay gap even exists here.

    One of the occupational problems women bus conductors face is the lack of awareness of the career opportunities in the sector. While gender stereotyping is one thing, the cultural attitude of male colleagues degrades the confidence of a woman. Also, less or no attention is paid to the work-life balance of women bus conductors that makes things even more difficult to surpass.

    The lack of toilet facilities has been a significant problem for women bus conductors. Such lack often leads to physical harassment by not only male colleagues but also by passengers. The acceptance of women working as bus conductors seems not an accepted idea today.

    I wholly agree with the statement said by the New India Express mentioned above. Until any breakthrough occurs, the union does not take a step to improve the conditions and the problems faced by the women bus conductors.

    shaifalikapoor03
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    @shaifalikapoor03
    #31356
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    Women around the world are seeking equality for themselves in every field, but somehow that’s becoming difficult for them at every step. Now, when women are able to get jobs in every sector, some people are making it hard for them to survive, if by being a bus conductors is the way she wants to earn her livelihood, no one is allowed to make her feel guilty about that, because indian society is so bound to judgement that, they are always there seeking ways to judge women at every step they take, people often annoy them by discriminating them for what they’re doing, indian society has divided even jobs into categories to what belongs to men and which belongs to women, wherein men can do any job they like but women have a limited fields to work upon. Women being bus conductors is a boon to indian society, they think.
    Moreover, the problem of eve teasers have made it unsafe for the women to do such job. Because buses being the cheapest transport, millions of people travel through buses and that do contain a lot of eve teasers disturbing women on them. Women’s safety has a threat everywhere around the country be it buses or streets.

    DISHA SAPKALE
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    @42disha
    #31422
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    women bus conductors are facing with occupational problems at work place, they are mainly facing problems like local routes, long routes duties due to which they get worry about work. Women also face difficulty during night shift and carrying cash with them. It difficult to work during night shift because there is no ladies room and security due to which they get worry about their work. Women bus conductors has required more physical and interactive skills than intellectual knowledge because they work in different shift due to which they interact with different personalities and bare misbehaviour of passengers. Women facing problems when there is long routes duties because they has to work for extra hours and due to which they miss there family time and gathering with friends beacuse of work pressure. They feel tried due to fluctuating working hours it’s difficult to face misunderstanding of family members. Women bus conductors express their problems of work beacuse of overload work and working for extra hours. Majority of the women bus conductors facing problems like musculoskeletal pain in the legs, ankle/feet, knees, thighs, palm/fingers and in the wrist by constant standing, prolonged working hours due to this they feel to leave the job.

    VIPASHA .
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    @vipasha
    #31619
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    We all know that a woman can do everything, she has the ability to manage everything. But there are very people who understand this.
    The women who are working as a bus conductor has to face many problem in her life .First of all, working such a bus conductor does not like by anyone, everyone tries to down her moral, that you will not be able to do this, this is not your cup of tea . Working as a bus conductor is a very big decision of her life , then the struggle start bus conductor is not treated equally as a male connector. Many of man and misbehaves with her . And with her very disrespectfully which is not acceptable. Some of the occupational problem faced by women conductors are sometimes passengers are very bad to them like they sexually abuse them and main problem every girl suffered from is periods pain and at that time it became really hard for them to stand for long time and unhealthy to carry heavy stuff as well .
    If society does not accept if women bus conductor as they considered is not a part of her job she can do household work for 9 to 5 job . Yes, the time has passed but mentality it is same . Women is not supposed to work as a conductor and if you chooses that she is not accepted by the society and behave in very bad manner. Bus driver also not accept a lady conductor and always a force not to have a woman as a conductor .Many of the passenger misbehave with her and oppose her decision only because she is a woman. In place like India mostly girls can’t do night shift because it’s unsafe for them. According to all the data most of the crimes are at night so it’s very difficult for girl to stay at night and work . many times if women connected does not get a proper sanitized washroom .
    I don’t know why job saturated in according to the genders . If a woman is agreed to work as a conductor , then what’s the problem of the society? how she is hunting them ? Even having a lady conductor in a bus is it beneficial for other women also and even to men she is not aggressive she can handle the situation more peacefully and smartly is most aggressive and in this field aggressiveness creates a drastic situation .

    Yash Tiwari
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    @yash
    #32115
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    Women bus conductors in India face several risk factors linked to violence and harassment, including insecurity, lack of access to toilets on duty, and contractual requirements to spend the night alone in the bus when it breaks down. These women are employed by private companies under contract with state public transport authorities; they are paid less than their male counterparts doing the same job and have far fewer opportunities for promotion. After several high-profile cases of harassment and violence against women working in public transport, the Women’s Forum for Change started an initiative to improve working conditions for women conductors. WFC documents and analyses the issues that particularly affect women conductors; it is based on discussions with conductors, trade union representatives, and service providers. While providing recommendations on how these problems can be addressed, the report also highlights ways in which the bus conductor work itself may be transformed so that it no longer links isolation to safety.

    Under the law, women bus conductors in India were to be hired on permanent contracts which guarantee them the officially enforced minimum wage, paid leave, and pensions. In practice, this often doesn’t happen. Most workers are employed on short-term contracts that do not guarantee them these benefits. Women bus conductors face occupational problems/injuries resulting thereby to a lower level of efficiency which can be of great concern for them and the city in general. The study revealed that the majority of women conductors are affected by occupational problems such as pain in different parts of the body, repetitive movement injuries, fatigue, stress, and anxiety and thus all these factors may have a significant impact on their job performance and confidence.

    Women working in bus conductors are prone to occupational problems. The work is hard, but it’s the work. Women are not used to this kind of work and their body cannot handle the physical strain which makes them feel tired and also complain about pain in different parts of the body. Women bus conductors are subjected to heavy physical load and this was proved when they were able to endure different types of pain in the joints, limbs, shoulders, and palms – these painful conditions can reduce the work efficiency of women conductors which will certainly affect their livelihood and other problems may lead them to leave the job. Women bus conductors are exposed to various health and physical problems. Some of the problems include pain in the hands, fingers, and limbs, headache, gastrointestinal distress, and general body discomfort.

    nehachitroda
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    @nehachitroda
    #32123
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    OCCUPATIONAL PROBLEMS OF WOMEN BUS CONDUCTORS

    Women have to face challenges and problems just because they are female gender, be in any field but difficulties and obstacles are common which all women go through every day. The transport sector is considered male-oriented which requires more masculine force and women were not considered suitable for the role of driver or conductor, etc. in a past era.
    But now women also take up work as women conductor or cab drivers because now many are initiating and they are also capable of this work. There are many challenges women face while working because women bus conductor is very few in number as it is assumed that it can be done in a better way only by males and not females.
    Bus conductors usually have a standing job because it is the main part of the job but these become a problem for a woman sometimes when she has her personal problems and standing for a long journey is hard for women. Another challenge is of working hours as many buses have more working hours and it makes a difficult for women to work that more than given hours because after working, she also has to go home and cook and do household chores also.
    The most common trouble is the conduct and behavior of passengers in buses with them, many try to touch and harass not only women conductors but its those commonly observed among passengers also. There are many problems women conductors face but still keeps on facing them because some have a commitment towards work and others have to work because it is their livelihood.
    But these problems can be resolved if the government takes steps to improve the rules and consider women’s problems.

    Shumaila Siddiqui
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    @shumaila
    #32136
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    Though we have problems and hardships in every profession, but some professions linked with woman causes a number of problems which are not commonly faced by men in our society. Being a bus conductor in today’s society is not very simple, and it is regarded as not a work that women should be doing but still women are managing and taking up this profession and handling it very efficiently.
    Some research has shown that 47% of the woman faces occupational problems but 46% have denied the problems and regarded family and depression as problems. The job of a bus conductor is not a smooth ride it includes a lot of long rides along with standing for hours and doing work along with running the house and family. Because of all this woman are not being able to have quality time with their family and friends. Some women are depth in constant depression to do the complete duties she has been assigned.
    Musculoskeletal pain In the knees, legs,thigh and palm/fingers in the wrist are more common problems of woman bus conductors. Also, there’s not enough time for them to rest and recover from such pains ultimately it causes a bigger health issue after sometimes.
    The naysayers and eve teasers brings their morale down and the negative stance over their professions makes them feel low, and sometimes they even think to quit the job.
    To decrease the hardships of women bus conductors we need to make more resources for their personal hygiene and make them feel secure.
    Also in the days of menstrual cycle women faces issues to maintain personal hygiene. This is the most tough times for them to be in proper coordination with their job.
    Concluding it by wholeheartedly accepting above take on women bus conductors until we don’t have the specific alternatives for the problems.

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